Main Findings for 1 Bedroom in a Shared Property

From 2016 to 2017, 15 out of 18 areas have seen increases in rent for 1 bedroom shared properties. The increases ranged from 0.1% in Renfrewshire / Inverclyde to 18.7% in East Dunbartonshire. There were three areas that saw decreases, ranging from -0.3% in Argyll and Bute to -11.3% in Aberdeen and Shire. This is the second consecutive annual decrease for Aberdeen and Shire, which is likely to reflect decreased demand for rental properties following the downturn in the oil industry. See Chart 10 and Table 5 below.

These regional trends combine to show an increase of 3.0% in average rents from £340 in 2016 to £350 in 2017 for 1 bedroom in a shared property at the Scotland level. This compares to an increase in the UK Consumer Price Index of 3.0% in the year to Sept-17.

Over the 7 year period from 2010 to 2017, Forth Valley has seen the highest increase in average private rents for 1 bedroom shared properties, with average rents rising by 29.5% (cumulative increase over 7 years).

A further 10 areas have seen increases that were higher than the Scotland average over the 7 years (16.6%). These ranged from 16.8% in North Lanarkshire to 28.4% in Fife.

Other areas that saw increases to a lesser extent ranged from 2.7% in Renfrewshire / Inverclyde to 14.6% in West Dunbartonshire. Argyll and Bute was the only area to see an decrease in average rents between 2010 and 2017 (-4.7%).

These regional trends combine to show a 16.6% cumulative increase from £300 in 2010 to £350 in 2017 for 1 bedroom shared properties at the Scotland level.

Figures on changes to rents for 1 bedroom shared properties over the period from 2010 to 2017 should be considered in the context of the cumulative increase in the UK Consumer Price Index of 15.9% from Sept-10 to Sept-17. Over the 7 year period, average rents for 1 bedroom shared properties in 11 out of 18 areas of Scotland have risen faster than the consumer price index, whilst changes in average rents for 1 bedroom shared properties in other areas of the country have been below the rise in the consumer price index. This is shown on Chart 10.

Note: Figures for rooms in shared properties represent "rent only", i.e. exclude any payments for shared services. See Reference Tables ( Tables 7 to 14) for a more detailed breakdown of quartile and average rents for each year.

For the year to end-September 2017, Lothian had the highest average monthly rents for 1 bedroom shared properties across Scotland (£390). Other areas with higher rents included Greater Glasgow (£386), East Dunbartonshire (£385), South Lanarkshire (£371), and Aberdeen and Shire (£358). Areas with the lowest average rents included Dumfries and Galloway (£292), Argyll and Bute (£301) and Renfrewshire / Inverclyde (£304). See Chart 11 below.